The Dickinson press. (Dickinson, Stark County, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1883-1927, 1887-10-15
THE SCIENCE OF SAILS.
Points That Yachtsn,cn and Ca,boatmcn
May l.lun


Like II birds wing, the first need for ill
effective sail is a rigid lrailng rl%" or
weather lcrrh; obtained in the square and
lugsails by the drag of II bowlinc, in the
lat"eESal by the yard or bone Of the sniwing
itself, in staysails hy tn" rgility of the
mast on supporting stay and in jihs by the
powerful l"isting puichs" and uso of chain
for huIynrls. Before the introduction Of
cllain the iih, like the fir, string of Il violin,
was constantly getting out uf tune and in
want of setting up. Another point i'll {, good
sail is that th" after egr, when held in place
by the sheet, should bc as nearly upright or
vertical as the seams of the sail, and like the
after edge Of II wing, lncontincd by any thna,
more than II hem or lieh,">t nf rope, save
where II rcctbani require, strength
The cloth at this end of u ,iib is at times
seen shaking Willie the rest of the canvass is
still rs though frozen, and it is better tho
wind should pass it freely so than be girt in
OF held Icy it, Til" cloths of Il jib are out u
little convex upon the leading edge, aud lrl-
less the position of the sheets We're carefully
fixed with respect to this convrxity, tn. huff
of n jib would b" c"ncavc instead of straight
when ropcd and Loistc'l.
There is an old sra saying. often used, too
by lands:ncn without l,nowing why, viz. II
knew him by the cut Of his jib, a jib really
having more cut about it than other sails.
Though few practical sailmakcrs or users
Of them know really much about uIyebraic
formula, they hive their rules, handed down
to them from old time, for cutting out sails;
and, us wind and wafer are very collservu-
tive elements, they seldom go far wrong.
Among these rules is that working by thirds
TINT is, when ut n loss as to the best pro-
portion for one thing toward another to
take third Tile boat always takes her
third of the fish caught, u yard of lug sail
Is slnnS II third from the end, tho most con
rex part of the jib l. at one third of thu lulf
from the tack and the sllert exactly opposite
the point. pious adherence To his Old mys-
tcry saves much calculation uni trouble, and
WHEN SlilpbuldeiS thought /; third Il good
proportion Of !ia,n to lcnStll, II fair amount
Of stability was insured to our ships. Sailors
speak Of n sail US iiftng or pressing quite in
d, pcirlcntly Of its power Of drIl!I, vessel
ahead. All jibs are lifting sails, shh do
their work with least tendency tu force u
vessels Ice side down. Ti!ey are safe sail, to
Jlbe or vcer round under the wind; hence,
perhaps, the term "jibc. The anglo at "hrh
the weather edge OF IL jib stands La, much to
do with tins lifting quality, for cutters
foresail, though triangular, is not fouul II
lifting sail. Next to III jlb, the sail which las
most of this power is no doubt the Iatc.n
DATING sail Of the south, particularly Us set
upon the foremost Of IL fciuccn. while the
splendid lifting power Of the luntccii sail may
have led 10 its being rctai,c,l Us the head sail
i'll tho strange combination of ligs seen in tho
Turkish vessel which is known Us q xcbcc.-
Robert Leslie i'll Eurpcrs